Mai Hime ep.1-13

December 31, 2004 | 1 Comments

The series begins when Tokiha Mai and her younger brother, Takumi, travel on a ship that will take them to their new school, Fuuka Gakuen. In the middle of their journey, the passengers realise that there's a girl drowning in the sea so they decide to save her. That night, however, another girl called Kuga Natsuki manages to secretly board the ship and ends up in a deadly fight with the first girl, Minagi Mikoto. Mai, who got trapped in the crossfire, learns that she and these girls are actually HiMEs, girls with power to summon elemental forces. Unfortunately, before she can fully comprehend her discovery, the fight between the two other girls causes the ship to sink. Mai, who's unable to make it to the lifeboat, ends up sinking to the bottom of the ocean with Mikoto.

The next morning, Mai finds herself and Mikoto laying on top of a half-burned grassy area of her new school, unable to remember how she got there. Never the less, she is reunited again with her brother and Tate Yuuichi, a male student that she met whilst on the ship. Later on, Mai, who feels responsible for Mikoto, decides to look for her. However, instead of finding her, Mai ends up meeting two mysterious characters: a young girl in a wheelchair called Kazahana Mashiro and a boy who knows alot about HiME called Nagi. Natsuki, who turns out to be a student at the school as well, warns Mai to not listen to Nagi. Nagi, however, informs Mai that her brother is in danger, forcing Mai to travel to a nearby cave where Takumi is cornered by a monstrosity known as 'Orphan'.

In an attempt to protect her brother, Mai inadvertently activates her HiME power. However, her power as well as help from Natsuki and later on, Mikoto, are not enough to defeat the monster. So Nagi tells Mai that in order to defeat the monster, she must summon her 'Child', Kagutsuchi. It is this creature who saved Mai from drowning when she fell into the ocean. Having said that, Nagi warns Mai that if she decides to become a HiME, she must know that she'll be putting her most precious thing on the line. Mai, thinking that Nagi is referring to her own life quickly agrees. So she unseals Kagutsuchi, which turns out to be a gigantic half-breed of Dragon/Phoenix. Kagutsuchi easily makes a mincemeat out of the 'Orphan' but along the way almost obliterated the entire area.

The next day, Mai is summoned to see the school administrator and finds out that the little girl in the wheelchair, Mashiro, is the administrator herself. She also reveals, much to Mai's anger, that she gave Mai and her brother the school scholarships because she needs her help as HiME to fight Orphans. Never the less, for Takumi's sake, Mai decides to remain at the school, especially after she finds out that Mikoto is also looking for her brother in the area. Later on, Mai finds out from Natsuki that she and Mikoto are not the only two people who get into the school by scholarships. Apparently, some people have been gathering HiMEs at the school. However, the purpose is not to fight Orphans. This is why Natsuki fought with Mikoto at the ship. She was trying to warn the girl.

Never the less, since they already in the school, Natsuki gave up on trying to get the two to leave. So the three end up collaborating in a fight when a second Orphan appear at the school. However, the attack from these creatures doesn't seem to slow down. A couple of days later, a bus gets into an accident because of an appearance of another Orphan. At the same time, one of Mai's colleagues at work, Akane seems to be afraid of another girl at the school, the emotionless Miyu for some unknown reason. Later on, while trying to save another bus from being attacked by this 3rd Orphan, Mai finds out from Natsuki that a mysterious group called 'The First District' always arrive at the accident scene to gather the injured people and take them to a hospital that they control.

Feeling helpless about the situation causes Mai to be depressed. Especially after her friends exclude her from social activities because they don't want to burden her already difficult financial situations. It seems that ever since she was a kid, Mai has always shouldered a lot of responsibility. Now, however, she finds the burden to be too much for her. Her sadness is easily noticed by Tate, who manages to cheer her up by telling her not to push herself too hard since she already do her best in everything. Because of this, Mai and Tate end up getting along with each other a bit better. Their closeness, however, worries Shiho, a young girl who has a crush on Tate. Being the kind person that she is, Mai tries to assure Shiho that there is nothing between her and Tate.

Meanwhile, a colleague from Mai's workplace, Sugiura Midori, has accidentally released a seal on a ancient door at a local shrine belonging to Shiho's grandfather. As a result, another Orphan is set loose, causing Mai, Natsuki, and Mikoto to band together again and fight it. Much to their surprise, however, Midori is also a HiME herself and manages to defeat this 4th Orphan easily. However, this is not the only surprise she has in stock for the group. The next day they go back to school, it's revealed that Midori has quit her job at the restaurant where she works with Mai and Akane and taken a teaching job at Fuuka Gakuen. Meanwhile, while trying to find her brother in the city, Mikoto witness a girl called Yuuki Nao using her HiME power to rob perverted guys.

Due to a misunderstanding that she has with Mai, however, Mikoto agrees to join Nao in robbing those guys. Especially after Nao tells her that she'll help Mikoto to look for her brother. Thankfully, before Mikoto gets into deep, Mai and Natsuki catch the two trying to bait a lolicon. The confrontation, however, ends when Nagi arrives and tells the girls that he doesn't want the HiMEs to fight with each other. Nao, however, manages to escape by destryoing the structure of the nearby building. Unfortunately, Mikoto can't escape fast enough and is burried in the rubble. This causes Mai to become distraught, thinking that Mikoto is dead. Later on, however, Mai finds out that the Vice President of the student council, Kanzaki Reito, manages to save Mikoto.

A couple of days later, there is a school festival at Fuuka Gakuen. Having said that, Mai and Takumi ends up helping Tate and Kanzaki cleaning up a dirty room. However, in the middle of doing so, Mai and everyone else falls into the crack in the wooden floor. When she regains consciousness, Mai finds herself alone with Kanzaki inside a cave while Tate and Takumi are on other part of the cave. Seeing the fact that they're alone, Kanzaki asks Mai if she likes Tate. Mai blushes upon hearing the question but tells Kanzaki that she doesn't like Tate, prompting Kanzaki to ask if that means she's free for him. Meanwhile, Mai's workmate, Akane takes her boyfriend, Kazuya, around the festival and eventually to a forest so she can tell him about her 'secret'.

However, Miyu suddenly appears and tells Akane that there's a monster approaching. Because of this, Akane reveals to Kazuya that she's in fact a HiME and begins battling the Orphan. At the same time, Mai and the others are attacked by an Orphan as well so Mai has no choice but to use her power in front of Kanzaki to defeat the Orphan. Back to Akane, she manages to defeat the Orphan in the forest but Miyu suddenly reveals that she's some kind of an android and proceeds to kill Akane's Child. Akane is caught off guard by this turn of event and thinks that she's going to die as she watches her Child turns to ashes. However, a bigger shock awaits her as she finds out that her boyfriend suffers a heart attack and then disappears into nothingness in front of her.

Nagi is shocked by this latest development but comes to Akane and tells her that she knows that by being a HiME, she'll risk the most important thing in her life. And that does not always mean her life. Meanwhile, Mai and the others manage to get out of the cave safely but now Mai looks as if she has fallen for Tate but can't do anything about it. Fast forward a couple of days later, Mai's classmates talk about how lately they haven't seen their classmate, Kazuya and strangely, Akane from class B has also disappeared, prompting them to gossip that the two have eloped together. Since it's summer, Mai ends up getting a job at a local beach as a lifesaver. She also ends up helping Natsuki when Natsuki decides to infiltrate a research lab belonging to the First District.

During the infiltration, it's revealed that Natsuki's mother used to work for the First District but she tried to run away when she found out a revealing information about HiMEs. Unfortunately, while trying to escape with Natsuki in a car, they got into an accident. Back to the present, Natsuki, Mai, and Mikoto are captured by a local police after they got spotted breaking into the building. But luckily, one of Natsuki's intels at the school, Sakomizu-sensei, manages to set them free. Anyway, a couple of days later, Mai and other students find out that they have to retake their exam in the form by competing in a cooking competition. The results, of course, is nothing but chaos. To make things worse, an Orphan arrives and eats the cake of the contestants.

Because of this Mai, Natsuki, and Mikoto decide to hunt the Orphan. But they don't realise that they actually end up hunting another Orphan that has been created by Alyssa Searrs, a seemingly innocent elementary schoolgirl. Meanwhile, the actual Orphan who's been eating the cake of the contestants appear in Takumi's apartment, about to eat the cake that Takumi is making for his sister. Thankfully, in the nick of time, Takumi is saved by a kunoichi HiME who turns out to be his supposedly male roommate, Akira. With the help of her frog-like Child, Akira easily dispatch the Orphan. Meanwhile, it's revealed that Miyu, Alyssa, and the head Priest of the school are trying to locate and possibly eliminate Valkyries, the term that they use for HiMEs.

Fast forward a couple of days later, a group of girls have been attacked and their neck seems to have been bitten by something. This causes everyone to speculate that a vampire has been hauting the schoolground. Sakomizu-sensei, however, informs Natsuki that this is not a random Orphan attack. He also informs Natsuki that Midori is in the middle of finishing her thesis and therefore is not available to fight. Elsewhere, Nagi is seen talking to Mashiro and tells her that he thinks that the attack is a signal from their enemy to reveal the HiMEs or else there'll be more innocent casualty. Mashiro, thinks that their enemy is desperate and maybe she should have this matter attend to immediately to protect the students. Nagi, however, advise her not to fall into their trap.

He reminds Mashiro that their enemy have defeated a HiME, referring to the Akane incident. Nagi thinks that for now they should let the enemy reveal more of their intention. Later on, however, Nagi decides to tell Mai to stay away from this particular case. He thinks that the Orphan is looking for the HiMEs mark on the victim's body since the mark tends to appear in the state of fear. There's also a possibility that the blood is taken for DNA analysis. Meanwhile, Natsuki is seen investigating the number that is written on the doll's collar and finds out that it's an account number linked to Iwasaka Pharmaceutical and Searrs Foundation. At the same time, Tate approaches Mai and tells her that he knows there is a link between Mai and the incidents at school.

Mai, however, denies Tate's suspicion and before Tate can grill her, they hear a scream. They find Sister Yukariko holding a bow and Mai's friend, Aoi, lying unconscious on the ground. It seems that when the Orphan attacked Aoi, Sister Yukariko arrives in the scene and manages to drive the Orphan away with her HiME power. She, however, does not understand her power and therefore are terrified by it. At the same time, Natsuki finds out that Iwasaki pharmaceutical is one of the School's major sponsor so she decides to do further investigation. Meanwhile, after being pressed by Mai, Mashiro decides to give a call to another HiME, who turns out to be Kikukawa Yukino, and asks for her assitance to solve the case. Yukino's investigation reveals that Natsuki has been captured.

Because of this, she makes a phone call to Mai's mobile, letting her now of the situation. Mai and Mikoto makes it in time to save Natsuki but the three eventually engage in a major fight with Miyu and Alyssa. Unfortunately, because Mai hesitates, Miyu and Alyssa manage to escape. Later on it's revelead that the priest, Joseph Glear, is in trouble because his superior feels that he's inadequate at handling the latest incident. So he's fired and replaced by Alyssa. The next day, Mai, Mikoto, Natsuki, and Midori talks about Miyu and Alissa. Their conversation, however, comes to a halt when Natsuki receives a phone call from her intel. After Natsuki left, Midori tells Mai that so far there are 8 HiMEs that she's aware of. So that leaves 4 since she thinks there is a total of 12 HiMEs.

This prompts Mai to wonder what is HiMEs but Midori tells her that it's still being investigated and that it may have something to do with that painting on the Shrine wall. At the same time, Natsuki finds out that Akane is being locked up in a place owned by Iwasaki Pharmaceutical. Mai, however, is busy with other kind of activity. She's been asked by Kanzaki to go out but she seems to hesitate because of her feelings for Tate. In the end, however, Tate decides to interrupt when Mai and Kanzaki are about to kiss. This causes friction between Tate and Kanzaki as well as Mai and Shiho. But before they can fight, however, Alyssa caused an atomic explosion at a nearby bridge. Once the explosion subsides, a fleet of what looks like naval ships appear on the horizon.

[ Detailed impression ]

© memento 2003